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Top 10 Movies of 1997

Today’s list is a 20th anniversary list of the best movies that were released in 1997.

The top five highest-grossing films of 1997 were Titanic (which also won best film and best director for both that year’s Golden Globes and Academy Awards), The Lost World, Men in Black, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Air Force One.

So….my ten favorite movies that were released in 1997.

10. The Jackal
This political thriller was based on the 1973 The Day of the Jackal and released in November. It was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and starred Bruce Willis, Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier. Willis plays a hard to find assassin (known as the Jackal) while Gere plays a former Irish Republican Army sniper that is released from prison to help the FBI (team led by Poitier’s character) find him before he hits his next target.

9. Conspiracy Theory
This movie about a taxi cab driver stars Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, and Patrick Stewart was released in August and directed by Richard Donner. Gibson stars as the taxi cab driver that is a conspiracy theory nut that turns out to be right while Roberts plays an FBI agent that Gibson’s character has a strange obsession with.

8. Starship Troopers
This science fiction action movie is based on Robert Heinlein’s novel and was released in November. It was directed by Paul Verhoeven. The movie was pretty cheesy and the special effects were underwhelming but it was pure fun.

7. Chasing Amy
This romantic comedy directed by Kevin Smith starring Ben Affleck, Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams was released in April. It’s the story of a strange love affair between a comic book artist (Affleck) and his lesbian girlfriend (Adams).

6. Seven Years in Tibet
Jean-Jacques Annaud directed this biographical film about the life of Austrian mountain climber Heinrich Harrer. Bad Pitt portrayed Harrer. It is the story of Harrer’s experiences in Tibet during World War 2 and the occupation of Tibet by communist China and his story of meeting Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama.

5. Good Will Hunting
This one was released in December. It was written by and starred Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It also starred Robin Williams and was directed by Gus Van Sant. It’s about a genius (Damon) from Boston with low expectations of himself that is sentenced by the court to undergo therapy and how a psychologist (played by Williams) gets him to re-evaluate his life. Williams won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this film. The film also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and the Best Screenplay Golden Globe Award.

4. Grosse Point Blank
Starring John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Akroyd and Jeremy Piven, this comedy was released in April. It was directed by George Armitage. It had an amazing soundtrack as well. Cusack plays an assassin who is rethinking his chosen profession and is sent out on his (potentially) last job as he travels to his hometown to attend his high school reunion and reunites.

3. The Devil’s Own
This political action thriller starred Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford. It was released in March and directed by Alan Pakula and told the story of a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army that escapes Ireland and ends up living with a New York City policeman.

2. Donnie Brasco
Released in February and directed by Mike Newell, this film based on real-life FBI undercover agent Joseph Pistone starred Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.

1. Men in Black
This science fiction comedy film starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith was released in July. It was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and is loosely based on a comic book series of the same name.

Honorable Mentions:

The Fifth Element
The Saint
Con Air
Spawn
The Peacemaker
The Devil’s Advocate
Alien Resurrection
Air Force One